Adapter



Jam.. 23, QE E, H SHAFF 2,538,919

ADAPTER Filed June 5, 1944 Patented dan., 23, i951 UNl'l'ED STATES .PATENT OF FICE ADAPTER Ernest H. Shari, Spring Lake, Mich., assigner to rreller Tool Company, Grand Haven, Mich., a

corporation of Michigan rl`hi's invention relates to adapters, and more particularly to adaptors of the type utilised for releasably latching and connecting together two parts such as the driving and driven elements of tools, drives or other mechanisms.

A general object ci this invention is to provide an improved socket adapter which includes a releasable latching detent and which, although relatively simple in structure and easily manufactured, is very durable and free of trouble in service.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved socket adapter including a releasahle latching detent and having the parts thereof constructed and arranged for ease and simplicity of assembly and; the avoidance of small separate parts whch might baco-me loose or lost in service.

An additional object oi this invention is to provide an adapter including a spring biased latching detent and retaining means for limiting movement of thedetent, and in which the parts are constructed and'arranged for integral formation of the retaining means during assembly.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an adapter of the type referred to in which the parts subjected to wear and stress may be hardened at appropriate stages of the manufacture without injuring or changing the other parts thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective View of an adapter embodying a preferred form of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the completed assembly of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a part of the apparatus shown in Figs. l and 2.

Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are longitudinal sectional views' showing various stops in the manufacture and assembly of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

While the invention is susceptible oi various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail, the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that l do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but inten-d toJ cover allmodifications and alternative constructions fallingv within the spirit and scope` of the invention as expressed the appendedclaims. f

For purposes of illustration, this invention is shown in its application to an adapter for a tool driving spindle such as the spindle of a portable power driven tool` In general it comprises a member I havingv a shank portion I2 in which a detent I3 is mounted for transverse movement in a bore or socket I il having a circumferential' recess intermediate its ends for the accommodation oi a stop ange or bead formed on the detent. The latter is biased outwardly bya` compression spring I5. Through the construction comprehended by this invention, an adapter is provided which is not only made by inexpensive processes to avoid small and easily loosenedor lost parts, but which also permits hardening of the parts subect tf;- wear. To this end. outward movement of the detent I3 pr-oduced-by the compression spring is limited by a rim I6 integrally formed on the shank portionv l 2 adjacent the bore and adapted to coact with the integraloutwardly extending flange or bead Il on the detent I3. The wear resisting parts are separately hardened/prior to assembly in a manner whichdoesnot prevent successive assembly operations,k

Considered in more detail, the member or shaft I@ may comprise a driving or driven part of a power driven tool, such asv a wrench, screw driver or chisel, or may be a shaft which is to becon'- nected in driving or driven relation to a detachable cooperating shaft or member. Thus, the shank port-fon i2 of the shaft I0 has flat angularly disposed sides Ill and is adapted to t into a socket of an adjoiningY shaft or member (not shown), .and to be releasably secured in said socket by the detent I3, said detent being adapted to t into a recess or opening in a. wall of the socket.

The socket or bore I4 in the side 0f the shank portion i2 is of a size such that the detent I3 ts therein for sliding movement and desirably' has a at bottom lil which provides an abutment for the inner end of the detent. In the exemplary tool, the recess for the bead I 'I is formedby a counterbore 2li concentric with the socket or bore I4 which provides a shoulder or abutment 22"b'e tween the bottom IS of the bore I4 and the open end of the count-arbore Zil, as shown in Fig; 4.

The shank portion I2 is swaged inwardly adjacentA the open end ofthe countsrbore 2Q to form the integral rim I6 at the open end of the counterbore thus providing a shoulder or abutment at the other end of the recess in opposed relation to the shoulder 22, The inside diameter ofthe rim IG is substantially the same as that of the bore-I4 3 so that the detent I3 extends therethrough and is slidable therein, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The detent I3 may be made from round bar stock of suitable diameter and finish and has an axial bore 23 extending inwardly from the bottom end thereof to a depth which is preferably somewhat greater than the depth of the bore IQ between the shoulder 22 and the bottom IS of that bore, as shown in Fig. 6. The spring I5 is mounted in the bore 23 of the detent I3 between the end of that bore and the bottom I9 of the socket or bore I4, and is normally compressed to bias the detent outwardly.

After the installation of the spring I5 and detent I3 in the bore I4, as shown in Fig. 6, pressure is applied to the projecting end of the detent I3 either in a press or by striking that end of the detent to deform the intermediate portion of the detent and form thereon the integral flange or bead I 'I. The socket or bore I l supports the major portion of the thin walled section of the detent, and shoulder 22 serves as an anvil for the deformation of the detent and the formation of the integral bead or flange. The nat bottom I9 of the bore I@ furnishes an abutment for the inner end of the detent which does not tend to deform that end during the application of pressure. The purpose of extending the bore 23 into the detent to a depth greater than the distance between the bottom I9 of the bore i!! and the shoulder 22 is to provide a thin walled section in the detent I3 which extends beyond the bore ill and is adapted to be deformed by expansion into the recess formed by the counterbore 22 adiacent the shoulder 22 upon the application of pressure to the end of the detent, as shown in Fig. '1.

The integral ange or bead I1, which is formed by the described deformation of the detent i3, is slidable in the recess formed by the counterbore and is adapted to engage the rim H3 to limit the outward movement of the detent I3 which is effected by the biasing force of the spring i5, as shown in Fig. 2. The length of the detent 3 prior to the deformation which forms the integral iiange I'I, is preferably such that after the said deformation, the normally projecting end of the detent is substantially flush with the surface I8 of the shank portion I2 when the other end of the detent engages the bottom I9 of the bore It.

After drilling the shank portion I2 to provide the bore I 4 and counterbore 20, and after the swaging of the shank portion adjacent the counterbore 29 to provide the integral rim I S, the shank and other portions of the member or shaft I D may be suitably hardened by any desired process to withstand wear and long service. Also, after the finishing and drilling of the detent I3, that part may be hardened, as by cyanide hardening, to provide a thin hardened case thereon which will not interfere with the deformation of the detent which forms the integral bead I l, but which will contribute improved wearing qualities to the detent.

It is a feature of this preferred embodiment of the invention that the parts, such as the shank portion I2 and the detent I3, may be separately hardened by suitable processes to improve their wearing qualities in service. The separate hardening of the parts permits the use of a suitable or desired hardening process on each of the parts and it prevents either hardening process from changing the characteristics of another part, such as the spring I5.

The feature of separately hardening the parts supplements the important feature of integrally:

forming those parts by relatively simple and inexpensive processes during the assembly to eifect the production of a resultant structure which is not only durable, but has no small or separable parts such as retainers which may become loose or lost in service.

I claim as my invention:

1. An adapter in which a shank portion of one member is adapted to t into a cooperating holder of another member and comprising, in combination, a membel` having a shank portion, said shank portion having a socket extending partially therethrough so as to have a bottom, a counterbore concentric with respect to said socket and having a depth less than the depth of said socket to provide a shoulder adjacent the socket, said shank portion being swaged inwardly adjacent the edge of said counterbore to provide an integral rim spaced from said shoulder and having an inner diameter approximately equal to the diameter of said socket, a detent slidably fitting into said socket to a depth such that the end thereof is flush wih said shank portion, said detent having an inwardly opening longitudinal bore, a compression spring disposed in said lon gitudinal bore between the detent and the bottom of said socket and urging the detent outwardly of said socket, and an integral flange on the outer surface of the detent slidable in said counterbore between said shoulder and said rim, said rim and flange limiting outward movement cf the detent.

2. A connecting device for tools and the like comprising, in combination, a member formed with a flat side and having a cylindrical bore opening in said side, said bore having a circumferential recess intermediate its ends, a cylindrical plunger dimensioned to slidably t said bore, a spring interposed between said plunger and the bottom of said bore yieldably urging the plunger outwardly from the bore, and an integral circumferential flange formed on said plunger disposed within said recess, said recess defining opposed spaced abutments engageable by said flange to limit the range of movement of said plunger.

3. A connecting device for tools and the like comprising, in combination, a member formed with a flat side and having a cylindrical bore opening in said side, said bore having a circumferential recess intermediate its ends, a cylindrical plunger dimensioned to slidably t said bore, a spring interposed between said plunger and the bottom of said bore yieldably urging the plunger outwardly from the bore, and a circumferential flange of greater diameter than said bore formed on said plunger within said recess operative to limit the extent of outward movement of the plunger, said flange being spaced from the outer end of the plunger so as to permit the end to be projected beyond the surface of said member by the action of said spring.

4. An adapter for tools comprising, in combination, a member formed with a ilat side having a cylindrical bore opening therein, said bore having a circumferential recess intermediate its ends defining opposed spaced abutments, a cylindrical plunger dimensioned to slidably iit said bore, said plunger having a thin walled tubular inner end portion with a section of the wall shaped to form an outwardly projecting circumferential flange disposed within said recess for cooperation with said abutments to limit the range of movement of the plunger Within said bore, and a spring interposed between said plunger and the bottom of said bore, said flange being spaced from the outer end of said plunger so as to allow the same to be projected substantially beyond the surface of said member by the action of said spring.

5. An adapter for tools comprising, in combination, a member formed with a side having a cylindrical bore opening therein, said bore having a circumferential recess intermediate its ends, a cylindrical detent dimensioned to slidably t said bore, said detent having a hardened solid outer end portion and a tubular inner end portion, said inner end portion having a thin cylindrioal Wall shaped to form a circumferential bead of greater diameter than said bore and disposed within and slidable axially of said recess, a spring interposed between said detent and the bottom of said bore yieldably urging the detent outwardly from the bore, said detent being retained in said bore by said bead.

6. An adapter for tools comprising, in combination, a member formed with a flat side surface having a stepped cylindrical bore opening therein, an integral hardened rim extending around the mouth of said bore and having an internal diameter substantially equal to the smaller diameter of the bore, a hardened cylindrical detent dimensioned for a sliding fit with said rim and with the small diameter portion of said bore, said detent being formed with a tubuiar inner end portion providing a relatively thin wall having a narrow outward bulge dening a circumferential bead of greater diameter than said rim, and a spring interposed between said detent and the bottom of said bore operative to urge the detent outwardly to the extent permitted by engagement of said bead with said rim, said bead being spaced from the outer end of said detent so as to allow the end to project beyond the surface of said member.

ERNEST H. SHAFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ile of thisl patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 389,335 Spear Sept. 1'1, 1883 1,255,195 Malby Feb. 5, 1918 1,919,860 Reutter July 25, 1933 1,965,917 Anderholm July 10, 1934 2,133,404 Haas Nov. 29, 1938 2,190,081 Pfauser Feb. 13, 1940 2,216,878 Densmore Oct. 8, 1940 

